Arc welding gun

Claim 1

AN ARCH WELDING GUN FOR APPLYING SHIELDING GAS AND MECHANICALLY-FED CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE TO THE WELDING AREA, THE COMBINATION AT THE ARC END OF SAID GUN COMPRISING: AN ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE, CYLINDRICAL HEAD MEMBER ADAPTED TO FORM A PORTION OF THE WELDING CURRENTCIRCUIT AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE; AN ELECTRICALLYCONDUCTIVE CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER HAVING A PORTION SLIABLY INSERTED INTO SAID HEAD MEMBER BORE, SAID CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE FOR GUIDING SAID ELECTRODE AND FOR PROVIDING ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTRODE, SAID INSERTED PORTION OF SAID CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL RECESS IN ITS OUTER SURFACE WITH A PORTION OF SAID RECESS INTERSECTING SAID CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER BORE SO AS TO EXPOSE SAID CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE; A LEAF SPRING MOUNTED IN SAID RECESS SUCH THAT ONE PORTION OF SAID LEAF SPRING FORCES SAID INSERTED PORTION OF SAID CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER AGAINST A PORTION OF THE WALL OF SAID HEAD MEMBER BORE AND SUCH THAT ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID LEAF SPRING URGES SAID EXPOSED CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE INTO SLIDING CONTACT WITH A PORTION OF THE WALL OF SAID MEMBER BORE WHEREBY SAID INSERTED PORTION OF SAID CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER IS FIRMLY HELD IN SAID HEAD MEMBER BORE AND WHEREBY ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTRODE IS ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED IN A POSITIVE MANNER; A PAIR OF ANNULAR BUSHINGS OF ELECTRICAL INSULATING MATERIAL MOUNTED IN LONGITUDINALLY-SPACED RELATIONSHIP ON SAID HEAD MEMBER AND PROTRUDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HEAD MEMBER; A SLEEVE TIGHTLY MOUNTED ON SAID BUSHINGS SO AS TO COOPERATE WITH SAID BUSHINGS AND SAID HEAD MEMBERS TO FORM AN ANNULAR COOLING CHAMBER OVERLYING SAID INSERTED PORTION OF SAID CURRENT CONTACT MEMBER, SAID HEAD MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF CONDUITS CONNECTED TO SAID ANNULAR COOLING CHAMBER TO ENABLE CIRCULATION OF COOLANT THROUGH SAID ANNULAR COOLING CHAMBER; A NOZZLE FOR DIRECTING SAID SHIELDING GAS IN AN ANNULAR STREAM ABOUT THE WELDING ARC, SAID NOZZLE HAVING A REARWARD PORTION INSERTED OVER THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL, CIRCUMFERENTIALLYSPACED SLOTS EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID NOZZLE; AND AN ANNULAR SPRING ENGAGED ABOUT SAID RADIALLY-CONTRACTIBLE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID NOZZLE SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID NOZZLE TIGHTLY ENGAGED ON SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE WHEREBY A HEAT TRANSFER PATH IS PROVIDED FROM SAID NOZZLE TO SAID ANNULAR COOLING CHAMBER.